After a young actress steals a pack of drugs from a drop, she becomes the target of the mafia and inadvertently places her daughter So-Mi (Sae-ron Kim) in danger. Tae-Sik is a pawnshop keeper a man who has been scarred by a violent past takes on a drug trafficking ring in order to save So-Mi his one and only friend. Tae-Sik’s actions reveal more about his past and shed light on the ring’s true intentions and shocking doings. Chased by the police, Tae-Sik is on the race to stop the bad guys before the good guys stop him.
A debut by Jeong-beom Lee couldn’t have been done in a better fashion. Lee has crafted a film that doesn’t just thrive on the intense action, but manages to bring some dramatic elements into the mix without ever falling apart. His screenplay is so well written and as the film moves along we can clearly see a bond between Tae-Sik and So-Mi. The drama elements are well written and executed throughout the film. The viewers should be able to see the connection of the main characters and perceive the motivation from Tae-Sik to go after So-Mi. So many films go on about attempting similar takes, but they just simply can’t decide which way to go. Here Lee knows just how much of each element to use and how to effectively build up the film.
There is a little bit of everything in every scene and it is well balanced. The choreographed fighting sequences are excellent, enough to get your blood pumping. The film also features some very intense and jarring moments that will surely leave more than a few viewers shocked. Overall, The Man From Nowhere is a well put together film that is built up to its climatic end in a good for. Lee does a good job in creating enough tension and excitement to keep viewers in their seats. I would recommend watching the film in its original Korean audio track, unless you are too lazy it’s the best way to watch it.
The Man From Nowhere arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p MPEG4-AVC encode framed at 2.35:1, courtesy of Well Go USA. Right from the start viewers can see the grim look of the film and how the dark colors over populate the image, however, black levels are deep and inky and good shadow reproduction helps each frame to stay balanced. Fight scenes usually feature brighter and bolder colors that absolutely bring the film to live. Skintones appear natural throughout. Detailing suffers slightly because of the dark tone of the film, but there are plenty of great looking shots. Well Go USA’s transfer looks great.
The Man From Nowhere arrives on Blu-ray with a 5.1 Korean/English DTS-HD Master Audio lossless track(s). Dialogue is clean and crisp throughout. Directionality is exceptional throughout as the action flows through the speakers. The LFE output is well balanced and strong providing enough support for the action sequences. Bullets zip through the sound stage and the explosion towards the end of the film add enough satisfying power. I didn’t get a chance to try the English DTS-HD track since I prefer the original track over the dubbed track. The film includes English subtitles for those that like to venture into the Korean track. The Man From Nowhere sounds excellent on Blu-ray.
Making Of Featurette – This is a very short behind the scenes look at the making of the film. The entire thing is about 17 minutes long.
Highlights – A look at some of the action films from the film
Trailers
The Man From Nowhere It’s more than just another foreign action thriller, directed by Jeong-beom Lee, the film incorporates enough action with some dramatic sequences that will keep you in your seat. The fight sequences are some of the best I have seen in a while. The film slowly moves towards a very dark theme and it includes some very jarring moments that are both shocking and captivating as we begin to truly see a character’s human side. The film is very well put together and won’t fail to disappoint those who enjoy foreign films. The Blu-ray looks and sounds fantastic, but the supplements included are short and disappointing. Regardless, I recommend this title to all action fans.
